George Inness: Summer in the Catskills (1867)

Aching To Feel Aimless Again
Each day seems to bring another insult, a fresh example of waste, fraud, and/or abuse. Our incumbent has amply proven himself to be a first-class nincompoop who cannot seem to act according to his own oath of office. He possesses no honor, class, or intelligence. He seems to believe he's above accountability. I keep adding fresh items to his eventual Bill of Particulars, the list of grievous offenses he will one day be charged with when he's finally impeached. He's such a delicate damned flower, unable to handle the truth about anything. He and his minions have created a fictional administration Hell-bent on undermining civilization in favor of a Confederacy of absolute dunces. I bring up all these obvious points that don't really need recounting to admit that I'm weary of it. It doesn't seem like drama. I cannot seem to suspend my gape-mouthed disbelief when each previously unimaginable insult to my morals and my intelligence appears on another front page. I'm suffering from some degree of depression, if only because these days seem so doggone depressive. My optimism often calls in sick. My usual enthusiasm wants a nap. My digestive system barks at me about whatever I consume. I need a change of venue. I've been daydreaming of visiting France and Italy, where sunny days nudged us to ramble aimlessly and fruitfully. I ache to feel aimless again. Over the next two weeks, the Muse and I will be toodling. I will be checking in from presently unknowable locations.

——

Weekly Writing Summary

This FollowingChapters Story finds me teetering on the cynical edge of Jaded. We inhabit an upside-down world at the moment, a continuing challenge to sanity and hopefulness.

Dorothy Dehner: Landscape for Cynics (1945) Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of the Dorothy Dehner Foundation for the Visual Arts © Dorothy Dehner Foundation for the Visual Arts
"…why they're so confidently leading us into Hell."
—
This FollowingChapters Story finds me tracing the source of my ability to become Dedicated to mind-numbing efforts.

Will Hicock Low: Dedication [for Lamia] (1885)
"It's unlikely to kill me now, either."
—
This FollowingChapter Story finds me practicing the fine art of DisappointingMyself.

Caesar Boëtius van Everdingen: Pan and Syrinx (c. 1644 - c. 1652) Gallery Notes: The nymph Syrinx is on the run, with the forest god Pan, hidden among the dense vegetation, in hot pursuit. Van Everdingen captures the dramatic moment of the metamorphosis as Syrinx implores the river nymphs for help. They transform her into water reeds. Her right foot is already turning green. Disappointed, Pan listens to the wind playing through the tall reeds and subsequently cuts his flute from them.
"…knowing for sure only that I was DissapointingMyself again."
—
This FollowingChapters Story finds me battling with demon vacation while engaging in a spirited round of MsCommunication.

Corita Kent (Sister Mary Corita): yellow submarine (1967) - Inscriptions and Marks - Signed: l.c. in black ink (ball point): Corita - Inscription: Printed quote reads: MAKE LOVE NOT WAR / VIETNAM / What has it done to the home of the brave? AND OUR FRIENDS ARE ALL ABOARD MANY MORE THAN LIVE NEXT DOOR Lennon McCartney-Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Margaret Fisher Fund-© Courtesy of the Corita Art Center, Immaculate Heart Community, Los Angeles / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
"Vacation is the final stage of denial."
—
This FollowingChapters Story, UnderGawd, finds me feeling coerced and gnawing the inside of my cheek raw trying to appear patriotic (or idiotic) in public.

Unknown Indonesian artist from Central Java: God Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles (9th/10th century)
"…no enforcement mechanism other than the usual tacit coercion has yet been codified into statute. Yet."
—
This FollowingChapters Story finds me PreppingForEternity.

Charles François Daubigny: The Boat Studio, from The Boat Trip (1861) - ABOUT THIS ARTWORK - In order to paint the river landscape scenes that accorded so well with his temperament and taste, Daubigny decided to build a floating studio that could be positioned to afford the best points of view and to capture the varied effects of natural light. The etchings that resulted in the series “The Boat Trip” are an early example of the plein-air aesthetic, a practice of working outdoors that the Impressionists would wholeheartedly embrace.
"I'll just witness the final installation."
—
The most reliable indicator that someone really needs to take a break appears when they become too insistent about how they do not, under any circumstances, need to take a break. The conversation turns decidedly irrational and unnecessarily defensive. Whenever an everyday event takes on life-or-death tones, something noteworthy will probably be occurring. This Writing Week was one of those times for me. The Muse was shocked and more than a little disappointed in me. I responded by DisappointingMyself in return. I began this writing week working hard to convince myself that I didn't want or need to become Jaded. I then investigated how I happened to become so damned Dedicated to my work. I committed one of the cardinal sins of married couples, initiating some MsCommunication. I then investigated the history of our Pledge of Allegiance, a commonly recited bit of coerced reverence. I ended this writing week by PreppingForEternity, painting on our never-ending front porch project, which is just entering into its second anniversary and still counting, while preparing to leave The Villa Vatta Schmaltz for an extended toodle to the Midwest and back. Thank you for following along even when I exhibit some symptoms of suffering from some sort of social schizophrenia.

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #FollowingChapters, #PureSchmaltz